Engine starter



Nov. 17, 1936. R. P. LANSING 2,061,161

ENGINE STARTER Filed Aug. 6, 1931 INVENTOR a 4725272 1? IIZWZd PL j Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES ENGINE STARTER Raymond P. Lansing, Montclair, N. 1., assignor to Eclipse Aviation Corporation, East Orange, N. J.-, a corporation of New Jersey Application August 6, 1931, Serial No. 555,633

ZClaims.

This disclosure relates to a starter for an engine such as an internal combustion engine, and pertains more particularly to the means for connecting the starting motor or other source of power to a member or part of the engine to be started and thereafter transmitting power thereto to start the engine.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel starter of the type embodying a drive which is characterized by the employment of a rotatable driving member, or prime mover, such as an electric motor, and a driven member adapted to be drivably connected with the engine member.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple, compact and efficient means for the foregoing purposes.

These and other objects and'adv'antages to be derived from the use of the inventions disclosed herein will become evident on an inspection of the following description when read with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating two embodiments of the inventions. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only, and is not to be construed as a definition of the limits of the inventions, reference being had for this purpose to the claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a starter embodying an invention described but not claimed herein, the claims thereto having been transferred to my copending application No. 96,494, filed Aug. 17, 1936.

Fig. 2 is a partly sectioned view of a starter embodying additional matter forming the subject of the claims appended hereto. 1

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. l, the invention is shown therein as embodied in a drive actuated by a prime mover which is herein shown as an electric motor 3, having an extended armature shaft 4 to which is rigidly secured, by suitable means, such as a key 5 and a set screw 6, a sleeve or collar 1, having an outer cylindrical rim 8 rigidly connected, as by means of rivets 9, for example, to a pair of complemental clutch members I and II, constituting part of the novel means for converting the rotation of the shaft 4 into, first, a meshing, and then a rotary movement of the engine-engaging member to be described hereafter.

The novel means for producing automatic meshing action between the starter and the engine to be started in response to energization of the prime mover 3 preferably comprises an engine-engaging member I4 which in the embodiment now being described is constituted by an elongated sleeve, loosely fitting on the shaft 4 and provided at its inner end with an enlarged portion I constituting a pinion adapted to drive the engine member I6, which may be the engine 5 flywheel, on which is provided a spur gear ll, of relative large diameter with which the pinion I5 is caused to mesh on longitudinal movement along the shaft 4.

Mounted on the threaded portion I4 of the en- 10 gine-engaging member is a correspondingly threaded nut I8 having a splined or equivalent connection, as indicated at I3 and I9, with the clutch member ID, and preferably nut I8 carries means for normally holding the member I I in the position indicated with a yieldable force. As shown, such means takes the form of a spring pressed member I2 provided in a recess in the nut I8, and exerting the desired amount of frictional pressure on the surface of member I4. With this construction it is evident that upon energization of the motor 3 by suitable means (not shown) the resulting initial rotation of shaft 4, communicated to the nut I8, through the collar 1, barrel I0, and splines I9, produces a screw action on the sleeve I 4 causing the latter to move to the left as shown in broken line position in Fig. 1, overcoming the light frictional restraining effect of the spring pressed member I 2, and establishing meshed relation between the pinion I5 and the gear II.

The novel means for controlling the application of torque to the pinion I5 and gear I'I after these two members have become meshed comprises, in conjunction with the clutch members ID and II, a cylindrical resilient member 28 of compressible material, preferably rubber, having its opposite ends abutting the nut I8 and the member I I, respectively. The effect of this construction is that upon continued rotation of the shaft 4 following 40 establishment of meshed relation, and due to the prevention of any further longitudinal movement of the sleeve I4 by virtue of the contact of stop 2I thereon with the inwardly turned end 22 of the clutch member II, the nut I8 is caused to travel to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, thereby compressing the cylindrical buffer 20 and gradually building up therein, a resistance which, when it has reached the required point, will be effective to cause the transmission of driving torque to the sleeve I4 through the member I8 and thus cause rotation of the engine member I6.

When the engine has been started by the means just described, and the motor 3 de-energized, the resulting deceleration of the member I8, in conjunction with the acceleration of the sleeve 14 (which is now driven by the engine member l6) causes the return of the nut l8 to the position shown in Fig. 1, in which position the stress previously built up in the member 20 is eliminated. At the same time these forces act to return the sleeve M to the position shown in Fig. 1 thereby demeshing the pinion.

In the event that the teeth of pinion l5 fail to register with those of the gear H on first contact therewith, the resistance thus offered to further longitudinal movement of the sleeve M will cause the nut H! to compress the buffer 20 and thereby produce rotation of the members l3 and M to a sufficient extent to cause proper meshing of the pinion with the gear, whereupon the elasticity of the buffer 20 is effective to exert a thrust through the nut l8, on the sleeve ll, to cause the pinion to move forward into full meshing position. It is thus apparent that the buffer 20 may act not only as the torque transmitting means, but also as the means for insuring full mesh of the pinion with the gear H in the event of abutting of the teeth of these two members.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the operation is substantially the same, but the structure is somewhat different in that in this embodiment the threads of sleeve 30 and nut M are cut opposite to those of members it and IS in Fig. 1, andsleeve 30 is rigid with shaft 60, so that establishment of meshed relation of the pinion 32 and gear 33 is caused by movement of nut 3i to the left rather than movement of the sleeve It to the left, as in Fig. 1.

Another difference between these two embodiments is the use of an anti-drift spring35 as a substitute for the retaining means l2 of Fig. 1, as a means for preventing drift of the pinion :into mesh during normal running of the engine. A further change is in the establishment of a rigid connection between the barrel member 31 and the pinion 32, so that the drive, after proper compression of the buffer 36, is through sleeve 30 to the nut 3|, and from the radial projections 52 of such nut to the splines 43 of the barrel 31,

and thence to the pinion 32 and gear 33. In this embodiment, the buffer 34 acts as a yielding thrust transmitting device not only in the event of end-abutting of the teeth of members 32 and 33, but also during the first stage of meshing movement of the pinion 32.

It will be further noted that in both embodiments above described, means are provided for automatically meshing the pinion with the engine member prior to establishment of torque transmitting relation between the prime mover and the pinion. It will also be noted that in each case the pinion is automatically demeshed in response to starting of the engine under its own power.

aoen ei construed as applicable only to the embodiments herein shown. Thus, for example, the claims are intended to include as a substitute for the direct driving means herein shown, any suitable driving mechanism employing gears or other driving connection interposed between the prime mover and the engine-engaging member. Moreover, if desired, the invention may be embodied in a starter of the inertia type or of the manually operable type, either with or without an inertia member.

It is to be understood that various other changes may be made in the construction, arrangement andinter-relation of the parts constituting the invention without departing from the spirit thereof, the extent of the permissible variations being ascertainable by reference to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an engine starting mechanism of the type employing a pinion movable along a driving shaft into engagement with a toothed member of the engine to be started, the combination with said driving shaft, pinion and toothed member of an externally threaded sleeve surrounding a portion of said driving shaft and operatively connected taining sleeve being in abutment with said threaded sleeve only when said nut is fully retracted.

2. In an engine starting mechanism of the type employing an engine engaging member and a driving shaft to impart rotary cranking motion thereto, the combination with said engine engaging member and driving shaft of a threaded sleeve surrounding a portion of said driving shaft and operatively connected thereto, a nut threadedly engaging said sleeve, a cushioning member having one end abutting said engine engaging member, and a'retaining sleeve fitting over the opposite end of said cushioning member, said retaining sleeve being in abutment with said threaded sleeve only when said nut is fully re- 

